Illusions, Breath, and the Simulation of Reality: A Journey with The School of Breath

Imagine your body as an avatar in a highly immersive virtual reality. Just as advanced VR systems trick our senses into believing that we are somewhere else entirely, our mind constructs the reality we experience every day. Our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions form a simulation that feels as real as the physical world. According to ancient traditions, this is not a flaw, but the essence of maya—the cosmic illusion that veils a deeper, unchanging truth.

A dynamic and energizing technique, Breath of Fire uses rapid, rhythmic breathing to ignite your inner energy. This method clears stagnant energies and awakens a deep sense of vitality, enabling you to experience life with greater intensity and clarity.

Modern thinkers have drawn parallels between advanced virtual reality technology and our own experience of the world. If a sufficiently advanced civilization could simulate an entire universe with conscious beings, would we be able to tell the difference? Abhi Duggal believes that our own practice of meditation offers a glimpse into this possibility.

Just as in a VR game where your avatar can be reprogrammed or “hijacked” by overriding sensory inputs, meditation allows us to step outside our habitual thoughts and observe our inner simulation. In that space, you begin to see that what you experience is a series of transient mental constructs rather than an unchangeable reality.

While modern science speaks of dark matter—an invisible substance that shapes galaxies through its gravitational pull—ancient wisdom tells us that much of what we experience is unseen yet powerfully influential. Dark matter is like the hidden energy in our universe, an enigmatic force that binds galaxies together, just as the subtle flow of prana (life energy) connects all living beings. Imagine you’re baking a cake. The ingredients you see—flour, eggs, sugar—are like the visible stars in a galaxy. But suppose there’s an essential ingredient, like yeast or a chemical leavening agent, that you can’t see, yet it causes the cake to rise and hold together. Without that invisible ingredient, your cake would be flat and fall apart. In our analogy, dark matter is like that hidden leavening agent in the universe, and prana is like the invisible force that gives life to every ingredient in the recipe of existence.

Both dark matter and prana serve as reminders that much of what holds the universe—and our very lives—together is not immediately visible to us. They encourage us to look beyond the surface and appreciate the subtle forces that create order and harmony, whether in the cosmos or within our own bodies.

At The School of Breath, we believe that meditation, breathwork, and ancient practices offer a profound way to understand this multi-layered existence. By using practices like Tummo, Breath of Fire, and alternate nostril breathing, you can calm your mind and tune into the underlying “code” of reality. Whether you view the universe as a vast simulation or as a dynamic interplay of cosmic energies, these practices empower you to explore and transform your experience.

Abhi Duggal teaches that the journey to understanding our reality isn’t about escaping the world we see, but about deepening our awareness of its true nature. Through meditation and transformative breathwork, you can learn to navigate the illusion of everyday life—slow the mind, balance the brain, and open up to the possibility that there is more than meets the eye. Embrace the journey, question the reality, and let your breath guide you to a deeper understanding of the cosmic play. For more insights and guided practices, visit Meditate with Abhi.

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